Recoil mechanism for guns.



Patented July 30, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

K. VLLBR.

BBGOIL MEGHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLIUATION FILED OGT.18, 1911.

l I I I I I I I I vI/mJ 155555 K.I VLLER.

BEGOIL MEGHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 18, 1911.

1,034, 1 7 1 Patented July 30,1912.

K. VLLER.

REGOIL MEGHANISM FOR GUNS.

AHLIGATION FILED 00T. 18, 1911.

1,034,171 Patented July 3o, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

v K. VD'LLER.

RECOIL MEGHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.18, 1911.

1,034,171 Patented July 3o, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Ihre

mTrJ ESSES IVETUR coLuMBlA PLANOGRAPH CD.,wAsH1NaTuN, 6.7?.

UNTFD STATES PATENT FFQF.

KARL VLLER, 0F DUSSIEZIJORF,l GERMANY.

RECOIL MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, KARL VLLnn, a sub- ]ect ofthe German Emperor, residing at l2 Scharnhorststrasse, Dusseldorf,Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n RecoilMechanism for Gams;- and do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The present invention relates to guns in which the elevation is changedduring the recoil for the purpose of charging and differs frompreviously known arrangements in that the pin, which by engaging in acurved guide alters the inclination of the barrel during the recoil. isdone away with. In this way the barrel is swung more smoothly and thejar on the cradle is lessened. According to the invention, cylinderswith movable pistons are arranged between the elevating gear and thecradle slide, and the relative motion of the pistons and cylindersduring the recoil causes the rear end of the slide to be raised. In thisway the pin attached to the barrel and the curved guiding groove arereplaced by very simple means subject to very little wear and tear.

The accompanying drawings show several constructions for carrying outthe invention.

Figure l is a side view partly in section, Fig. 2 a rear view7 Fig. 3 aview similar to Fig. l with the parts in position at the end of therecoil, of one construction. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a side viewpartly in section and a rear view of a modied' construction. Figs. 6 and7 are longitudinal sections of other modifications.

In the construction shown in Figs. l to 3,

between the toothed segment a of the ele' vating gear and the slide 5,two lifting cylinders c with movable pistons fZ are arranged and arelinked tothe slide and also to the elevating gear. These cylinders areraised during the recoil of the barrel, as soon as the coupling ebetween the slide and the elevating gear is released during the recoilof the barrel rlhe lifting ofthe cyl- Specication of LettersPatent.

Application led October 18, 1911.

Patented July 30, i912.

Serial No. 655,259.

inders vis elfected by means of pistons g working in cylinders t', whosepiston rods are fastened to projections L of the barrel, and whichduring the recoil of thel gun force fluid through the hollow pivot pinsZ into the cylinders Since the toothed segments of the elevating gearare locked, the cylinders c and with them the rear end of the cradleslide and the gun barrel are raised by the fluid forced into thecylinders c throughl the angle oc. In order that this change ofelevation can only take place if the coupling e between theI elevatinggear and the slide is fully released, the pistons g in the compressioncylinders z' are displaceable on their piston rods and in the normalposition shown in Fig. l are so disposed relatively to disks 7c liXed tothe end of the piston rod, that the piston rodsV at irst move during therecoil without taking the pistons g with them. Then the movement hasbeen suffi cient to completely release the coupling' e, the disks 7ctake with them the pistons g (Fig. 3)' and the fluid is then forcedyinto the cylinders o. In order that the normal position can be againassumed when the pistons g return (Fig. l), springs m are insertedbetween them and the disks lo.

The operation of the modied construction. shown in Figs.. 4L and 5 isthe same as that described in connection with Figs; 1 3. An additionaldevice is however provided, by which any change in the elevation of thegun barrel can be prevented during the recoil. For thispurpose bothsides of the piston d are connected together by a channel `m, in which athree-way stop cock n is in- A connection leads from the three Ifserted. way cock to the compression cylinder z'.

the three-way cock is in the position shown in- Fig. et, the inclinationof the barrel and slide will' not be altered during the recoil,v lsincethe fluid will be forced out of the cylinder z'f into the lower side ofthe piston Z and there will be no relative movement of the piston andthe cylinder. If the threeway cock n is turned' through 90o in the'clockwise direction, the liuid is forced from the cylinder z' throughthe channel m tothe upper side of the piston Z andV causes a change inthe elevation of the gun barrel during the iecoil. The three way cock ncan also be connected with the elevating gear, so that at a givenelevation of the barrel it is automatically placed in the position, inwhich it allows the fluid access to the upper side of the piston d. Ifit is Ydesired that the barrel shall remain stationary at the end of therecoil, at the elevation it has assumed in the rear position, the stopcoclr can be so arranged that by means of amember providedat therecoiling parts, preferably in the form of a pin or projection, theiiuid can not return into the compression cylinder. In this way thelifting cylinder can act at the same time as a locking member for theparts turning about the trunnions; For safety a special brake is alsoprovided coinprisiiig a toothed rack on the cradle slide and a springlocking bolt.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6, the compression cylinder also actsas a brake cylinder. The cylinder 0, which is connected to the cylinderc, is divided by a constriction p into two parts and the piston rod'q iscone shaped at the after end to which the piston r is attached. Thepiston Z is pushed toward the upper part of cylinder 0 by a spring s andis so connected with the segment a that under the influence of the fluidforced from the cylinder 0 into the cylinder c, it can be moved acertain distance, before it is firmly attached to the segment @by theconnection t and the change of elevation of the barrel is then broughtabout by the lifting of the cylinder c. During this free part of thestroke of the piston the coupling between the slide and the elevatinggear is released. On the recoil the braking is effected by the gradualrestriction of the opening in the constriction y? by the cone shapedpiston rod Q. If the spring 8 is made sufficiently strong, no specialreturn spring need be fitted, since this spring can serve to return thegun barrel.

In the construction shown in Fig. 7 the brake cylinder and thecompression cylin der are placed together but completely separated by adividing wall fu. The part 'v of the cylinder acts as a brake and isprovided for this purpose with channels w, through which the iiuidpasses `to the other side of the piston y. The part z of the cylinder isconstructed in the same way as the com-` pression cylinder 'i in Figs.1-3. The action of the compression fluid in the cylinders 0 is also thesaine as in the iirst construction.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a recoiling gun the vcombination with a sliding barrel, and apivoted cradle therefor, of means for automatically raising the rear endof the barrel during the recoil comprising a cylinder and piston, andmeans for forcing a uid into said cylinder to effect a relative movementbetween the piston andV its cylinder.

2. In a recoiling gun, the combination with a sliding barrel, and apivoted cradle therefor, of means for automatically raising the rear endof the barrel during the recoil comprising a cylinder and piston, and

means for forcing a fluid into said cylinder to effect a relativemovement betweenV the piston and its cylinder, such last mentionedbarrel.

.75 means being operated by the recoil of 'the 3. In a recoiling gun,the combinationVv with a sliding barrel, a'pivoted cradle therej Y for,elevating mechanism for turning the cradle onits pivot, and means forcoupling 1 Y the cradle to said elevating mechanism, of

a cylinder secured to said cradle, a piston in said cylinder having arelatively fixed y support, a second cylinder communicating: with thefirst cylinder, ya piston in saidr second cylinder connected to saidbarrel, and

means for preventing the last mentioned el piston from becomingeffective duringV theVr recoil of the barrel unt-il the cradleis iinfcoupled from the elevating mechanism.

4. In a recoiling gun, the combination with a. sliding barrel, apivotedcradle therefor, elevating mechanism for turning the Y cradle on itspivot, and means forA coupling the cradle to said elevating mechanism,of

a cylinder secured to said cradle, a rpiston in said cylinder having arelatively fixed'r support, a second cylinder communicatingV with therst cylinder, a piston in said second cylinder, a rod upon which saidpiston is loosely mounted, said rod being con,-

iiected to saidbarrel, a head on said rod.,Y Y and a spring interposedbetween said head and piston.

5. In a recoiling gun, the combination with a'sliding barrel, a pivotedcradle there-'ifor and elevating mechanism for turning the cradle on itspivot, of a cylinder affixed to the cradle, a piston within saidYcylinder having its rod connected to a relatively fixed part, a couplingbetween the cradle and the f elevating mechanism, a second cylinder incommunication with the first mentioned' cylinder, apiston in said secondcylinderhaving its'rod connected tothe barrel, and means for controllingthe communication between said cylinders, to cause or preventl arelative movement between the rst mentioned cylinder and its pistonduring the re-Y coil. Y

6. In a recoiling gun, the `combinationl with a sliding barrel, apivoted cradle there'- for and elevating mechanism for turningA thecradle on its pivot, of a cylinder aiiixed ndex', a piston n said secondcylinder havspecification in the presence of two subing its rodconnected tl the barrel, said rst Serbing Witnesses. mentioned c linc eravnofV assaveways leading to ogposte ends fzzompthe bsecond KARL VOLLER'cylinder, and a, three-Way valve controlling Witnesses: suchpassageways. C. TIMWISSEN,

In testimony whereof, I have signed this W. TACK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, DC.

